EPA’s review on preventing legionella

A technology review on effective strategies to prevent outbreaks of Legionella in large buildings such as hotels, hospitals and schools has been published by the EPA.

From the Executive Summary:

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed this document because it recognizes that many species of the genus Legionella are a public health threat. EPA recognises that many facility managers are choosing to install treatment systems to prevent or mitigate Legionella growth in their premise plumbing systems. The target audience for this document includes, but is not limited to, primacy agencies, facility operators, facility owners, technology developers and vendors.

This document summarizes peer-reviewed scientific literature, reports from nationally and/or internationally recognized research organizations, and guidelines and standards from nationally and/or internationally recognized organizations. The reviewed literature characterizes the effectiveness of different technologies that may be used to control Legionella growth in premise plumbing systems. Particularly, it focuses on premise plumbing systems of large buildings, such as hotels, hospitals, schools and other buildings with complex plumbing infrastructure. EPA expects this document will improve public health protection by helping the target audience make better informed science-based risk management decisions to control Legionella growth in buildings.